Takasago was founded in 1920 as the first company to produce aroma ingredients in Japan and a huge variety of synthetic aroma ingredients as Ionone, Anis aldehyde, Benzyl acetate, Phenylethyl alcohol, Geraniol, Citronellol and later Vanillin, Heliotropine, Musk T®, Santalex® T, etc., have been contributing to create preferable flavor and fragrance compounding for a long time.

In 1983 Takasago successfully established the first industrial asymmetric process of l -Menthol which is one of the most demanded aroma ingredients in the world by a combination between asymmetric isomerization with Prof. S. Otsuka in Osaka University and chiral ligand BINAP developed by Dr. R.Noyori in Nagoya University. By use of not only asymmetric technology, but also more general Grignard reaction, Wittig reaction, Diels-Alder reaction, Takasago has developed and produced Ambretone®, cis-Jasmone, Orbitone®, Trepanol® etc., responding to global demands.

Based on asymmetric technology of l -Menthol, a variety of asymmetric reactions especially asymmetric hydrogenation have been developed and introduced to research of newly attractive aroma ingredients and compounding. As a result of the technology, a variety of chiral molecules as l -Laurinal®, Levocitrile®, l -Citronellol, Thesaron®, Biocyclamol™, l -Muscone and some of Coolact® have been launched under Chiraroma® concept. Dr. R. Noyori who is an outside director of Takasago received the Nobel prize in this research field 2001.

Since these chiral aroma ingredients consist of superior optical isomer, clean and pure odor characters can emphasize preference in wide range of fragrance products from household, toiletry to perfume and also add more naturality in flavor products.

Addition to high level of synthetic technology, unique natural aroma ingredients are also developed by biotechnology with safe microorganisms and effective enzymes from nature. Because of promising potential of natural aroma ingredients, Takasago is expanding this field globally with production sites inside and outside Japan.